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Durkin Family History

Durkin Name Meaning

Irish (Sligo and Mayo): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Duarcáin ‘son of Duarcán’ a byname representing a diminutive of duairc ‘surly’. English: variant of Derkin from the Middle English personal name Derkin originally a borrowing from Flemish settlers of Middle Dutch Dierkin a pet form of Diederik (ancient Germanic Theuderic from theud ‘people’ + rīk ‘power rule’); the name was also used as a pet form of Middle English Der(e) (Old English Dēor). Late Middle English -er- frequently changed to -ar- before another consonant and when -er- remained in early modern English it fell together with -ir- and -ur- in a new pronunciation /ər/. Alternatively Derkin may be a variant of Dorking a habitational name from Dorking Surrey from the Old English personal name Deorc + -ingas denoting association. Russian: nickname from durka a familiar form for durak ‘fool idiot’ formed with the possessive suffix -in.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Durnin, Dunkin, Murrin, Duffin, Duskin, Gurkin, Durkan, Durgin, Dulin

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Where is the Durkin family from?

You can see how Durkin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Durkin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Durkin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 37 Durkin families living in Ontario. This was about 61% of all the recorded Durkin's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Durkin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Durkin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Durkin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Durkin. 54% of Durkin men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Durkin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    54%
  • Income
    20%
  • Merchant
    14%
  • Accountant
    14%
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What Durkin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Durkin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Durkin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Durkin

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Durkin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Durkin. For the veterans among your Durkin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Durkin lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Durkin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Durkin in 1944 was 28, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Durkin

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